Stephanie
Diamond Member
- Jul 11, 2004
- 70,230
- 10,864
- 2,040
some wonderful stuff on socialized health care...coming your way...ENJOY
SNIP:
Problems with European Health Care
Socialized medicine looks good on the surface. We all want people to have access to health care. In practice, however, it often doesn't work out the way that it is intended to, leaving millions with substandard care. Recently, I wrote about how Britain's health care system has failed many Britons, turning away pregnant patients in labor, refusing life-saving medicine because it was too expensive, and creating a dental shortage that has forced desperate patients to pull their own teeth. Britain is not the only country that does not find their health care system to be ideal. In fact, some countries are once again experimenting with the free market, as costs, doctor shortages, and wait times have gone out of control. Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Sweden are all trying to improve their systems.
Switzerland: Hospitals Under Strain
In America, uninsured people sometimes go to the emergency room when they should be seeing a regular doctor, because the emergency rooms won't turn them away. In Switzerland, everybody is required to purchase health insurance, and insurance for low income families is subsidized. Price controls are set, insurance providers must insure everybody for basic care regardless of the risk they take, and they are not allowed to make a profit on basic care. Unfortunately, this system has caused a shortage of available appointments with family doctors. Like in America, people use the emergency rooms when they should be going to their family doctor, only these people are forced to pay for health insurance. Hospital staff sometimes have to work 70 to 80 hours a week. People don't really want to work under these conditions, so the amount of people going to medical school has declined by nearly 12% in the last decade. Doctors are imported from other countries, but other European countries are facing similar shortages.
Sweden: Considering Private Medicine Again
a LOT MORE here
Socialized Medicine in Europe - Yahoo Voices - voices.yahoo.com
SNIP:
Problems with European Health Care
Socialized medicine looks good on the surface. We all want people to have access to health care. In practice, however, it often doesn't work out the way that it is intended to, leaving millions with substandard care. Recently, I wrote about how Britain's health care system has failed many Britons, turning away pregnant patients in labor, refusing life-saving medicine because it was too expensive, and creating a dental shortage that has forced desperate patients to pull their own teeth. Britain is not the only country that does not find their health care system to be ideal. In fact, some countries are once again experimenting with the free market, as costs, doctor shortages, and wait times have gone out of control. Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Sweden are all trying to improve their systems.
Switzerland: Hospitals Under Strain
In America, uninsured people sometimes go to the emergency room when they should be seeing a regular doctor, because the emergency rooms won't turn them away. In Switzerland, everybody is required to purchase health insurance, and insurance for low income families is subsidized. Price controls are set, insurance providers must insure everybody for basic care regardless of the risk they take, and they are not allowed to make a profit on basic care. Unfortunately, this system has caused a shortage of available appointments with family doctors. Like in America, people use the emergency rooms when they should be going to their family doctor, only these people are forced to pay for health insurance. Hospital staff sometimes have to work 70 to 80 hours a week. People don't really want to work under these conditions, so the amount of people going to medical school has declined by nearly 12% in the last decade. Doctors are imported from other countries, but other European countries are facing similar shortages.
Sweden: Considering Private Medicine Again
a LOT MORE here
Socialized Medicine in Europe - Yahoo Voices - voices.yahoo.com
